Clamp bracket for outboard motors



July 1954 E. c. KIEKHAEFER 2,634,044

CLAMP BRACKET FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed March 24, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. a!" fin l Am er E. C. KIEKHAEFER CLAMP BRACKET FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS July 20, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1949 INVENTOR. 6%???" Q7e1%4 w BY E. C. KIEKHAEFER CLAMP BRACKET FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS July 20, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 24, 1949 Patented July 20, 1954 UNITED STATES ga n OFFICE 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to outboard motors and particularly to the supporting bracket therefor.

A principal object of the invention is to provide for the more convenient adjustment of the tilt of the motor by adjusting the bracket to accommodate boats having transoms of diifering angular positions or rake.

Another object is to provide for the quick adjustment of the tilt bracket with a minimum of effort.

Another object is to provide a positive locking of the motor against tilting in reverse operation.

Another object is to make the tilt adjustment immediately accessible to the operator within the boat without difficult mechanical actuating means.

Another object is to provide a more simple, inexpensive and foolproof tilt adjustment.

These and other objects and advantages will be more fully set forth in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an outboard motor secured to the end of a boat having a transom which is nearly vertical.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the motor adjusted and attached to a boat having a transom of considerable angularity;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the motor in the full reversed position;

Fig. 4. is a side elevation of the motor tilted forwardly with the propeller out of the water;

Fig. 5 is a detailed vertical longitudinal sec- I tion through a part of the supporting bracket of the motor;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the motor in the full reversed position;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the movable memher and handle of the tilt adjustment;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the supporting bracket with a portion thereof broken away and showing the handle in the disengaged position of adjustment; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the spring employed to retain normally the movable tilt lock member in a locked position.

The outboard motor 1, shown in the drawings, is secured to the transom 2 of the boat 3 so that the lower unit 4 of the motor is disposed under water. The outboard motor 5 includes the engine 5 and the drive shaft housing 6 extending beneath the engine and enclosing the drive shaft I which drivingly connects the engine 5 and the propeller 8 carried by underwater unit i. The upper and lower circular resilient mountings 9 and it, respectively, extending around housing 5 and carrying motor i are disposed to support the motor in bracket II for full rotation on a vertical axis for the full directional control of the boat. The handle !2 extending forwardly of motor 5 is provided for normal steering of the boat as by turning of the motor.

The swivel bracket H comprising preferably a single cast member is provided with upper and lower machined inner bearing surfaces It and I i which carry upper and lower resilient mountings Q and it, respectively, and through which drive shaft housing 6 extends.

The clamp bracket It is adapted to be secured to transom 2 of boat 3 by means of the threaded clamp screws H and comprises spaced right and left clamping members it disposed on either side of bracket H.

The tilt pin It extends horizontally and transversely through swivel bracket l l and is pivotally carried at each projecting end in opposite bracket members it to provide for tilting of the motor relative to the boat and raising of propeller 3 out of water, as shown in Fig. 4.

For the eiiicient operation of motor i, drive shaft housing 6 should be secured with respect to transom 2 of boat 3 so that the housing is disposed vertically and so that the thrust of propeller 8 is not misdirected too far upwardly or downwardly.

The invention is directed to the provision of improved convenient means by which the motor is readily adjusted for efficient operation with different boats and providing further a positive safety reverse lock to prevent tilting of the motor in the reverse direction of operation.

The block it which fits the forward side of bracket it near the lower end thereof and projects downwardly therefrom is pivotally carried by bracket if by means of the pin 20. Pin 23 extends transversely through the spaced lugs 21 formed integrally with bracket fl and the lug 22 integrally formed with block It. The spring 24 is carried by pin 20 on opposite sides of lugs 2| and engages bracket I I normally to bias block I9 tightly against the bracket. The operating lever 25 is mounted on pins 20 and 23 to extend rearwardly and upwardly on one side of bracket I I beneath engine 5 and is provided with a finger tab 25 at its outer end for manipulation by the operator of motor I.

The oppositely facing slots 21 on the inside of bracket members I6 are formed to receive the projecting ends of pin 23 and are curved to allow pin 23 to move freely therein as the motor pivots on pin I8 when block I9 is moved away from bracket II by means of lever 25. The slots 21 are open at the rear to allow pin 23 to leave the slots as the motor is tilted out of the water, as shown in Fig. 4.

Notches 28 are spaced to provide a plurality of selected positions of engagement with pin 23 carried by bracket II. The notches 28 are formed in the lower side of slots 21 and engage pin 23 when lever 25 is released and block I9 is biased by spring 24 against bracket II. Notches 28 are inclined on corresponding sides with respect to the path of movement of pin 23 to allow pin 23 to ride over the notches in the direction in which motor I is tilted forwardly and out of water and to engage pin 23 upon movement of motor I in the opposite direction.

In the installation of motor I on boat 3 the bracket I5 is first tightly secured to transom 2 of the boat by means of clamp screws I1. Since the transoms of all boats are not uniform with respect to the load water line of the boat, the motor I will be carried at various angles with different boats and so that propeller 8 is directed upwardly or downwardly with a decrease in the efficiency of the unit.

The invention provides a single, easily operated lever 25 which is readily accessible to the operator and which allows the motor to be set at the required angle with respect to bracket I5 and transom 2 so as to be vertically disposed and afford maximum propeller efficiency. By depressing tab 26 the ends of pin 23 are lifted so as to be movable within slots 2'! and motor I may then be tilted rearwardly and unit 5 lowered into the water. At the desired angle tab 26 is released and spring 24 biasing block I9 moves the ends of pin 23 into corresponding notches 23. The forward thrust of propeller 3 is carried by pin 23 in notches 28 to prevent further tilting of the motor in one direction. In tilting the motor forwardly to raise unit 4 and propeller 8 out of water, tab 2% may be depressed to lift pin 23 above notches 28, and pin 23 will also ride over the inclined rear sides of the notches without depressing tab 26.

The slot 28 is provided in the flat upper surface of the portion of drive shaft housing 6 extending rearwardly of the motor I immediately beneath bracket II as at 38. Slot 28 is circularly formed coincident with the center of steering rotation of motor I in bearing surfaces I3 and I4 so that as motor I is rotated to a reverse position the lower portion of block I9 enters slot 29 and becomes engaged by housing 5 so as to be secured with pin 23 against movement as would allow motor I to tilt forwardly.

Block I9 and housing 8 are arranged so that the motor cannot be turned beyond 90 in either direction without the engagement described to prevent the propeller thrust from tilting the motor forwardly. It is further provided by the invention that in case pin 23 is not fully engaged within corresponding notches 28, the block I9, dislocated as shown in Fig. 8, will interfere with housing 6 soas to prevent the rotation of motor I beyond the safety limit. Thus, to preclude accidental failure of the tilt locking device in reverse operation the motor cannot be reversed unless pin 23 is first secured in the corresponding notches 28.

Various embodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In an outboard motor, a swivel bracket having a bearing pivotally supporting the outboard motor for steering, a clamp bracket comprising spaced members having turn screws adapted to secure the clamp bracket to the transom of a boat, a tilt pin extending horizontally and transversely between said members and supporting said swivel bracket thereon and between said members for tilting of the motor and the angular adjustment of the motor respecting the boat transom, each said clamp bracket member having a series of notches forming a ratchet extending in an arc respecting said tilt pin and having forward abutment faces, a moveable locating carried by said swivel bracket and including laterally projecting pins adapted to be disposed in corresponding notches of said bracket and to engage said faces to secure the motor against tilting downwardly, a lever connected to said moveable locking member and disposed for manual operation to move and hold the pins of said member out of engagement with. said notches, and a spring connecting said locking member and said swivel bracket and disposed to bias said pins into said notches upon r lease of said lever in the selected position of adjustment, said ratchet having cam faces angularly disposed respecting the are referred to and such to lift said pins from each corresponding notch to allow raising of the motor on said tilt pin, without manipulation of said lever.

2. In an outboard motor, a swivel bracket having a bearing pivotally supporting the outboard motor for steering and rotation to a reverse position, a clamp bracket comprising spaced members having turn screws adapted to secure the clamp bracket to the transom of a boat, a tilt pin extending horizontally and transversely between said members and supporting said swivel bracket thereon and between said members for tilting of the motor and the angular adjustment of the motor respecting the boat transom, each said clamp bracket member having a series of notches forming a ratchet extending in an arc respecting said tilt pin and having forward abutment faces, a moveable locating member carried by said swivel bracket and including laterally projecting pins adapted to be disposed in corresponding notches of said clamp bracket members and to engage said faces to secure the motor against tilting downwardly, said notches defining cam faces angularly disposed respecting the are referred to and such as to lift said pins from the notches with raising of the motor on said tilt pin, a lever connected to said moveable locking member and disposed for manual operation to move and hold the pins of said member out of engagement with said notches, a spring connecting said locking member and said swivel bracket and disposed to bias said pins into said notches upon release of said lever in the selected position of adjustment, and a lug carried by the motor and turnable therewith to said reverse position to engage said r a 6 locking member and to secure the latter against Number Name Date movement of said pins from said notches and 1,910,561 Pierce May 23, 1933 prevent the tilting upwardly of the motor in the 2,116,146 Gondek May 3, 1938 reversed position. 2,127,744 Linthwaite Aug. 23, 1938 5 2,213,434 Rayniak Sept. 3, 1940 References Cited in the file of this patent 2,441,000, Armstrong May 4: 1948 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,583, 10 Watkins Jan. 29, 1952 Number Name Date FOREIGN PATENTS 1,621,747 Mound Mar. 22, 1927 m Number Country Date 1,733,361 Rice Oct 29, 1929 338,794 Great Britain Nov. 27, 1930 1,844,386 Harris et a1 Feb. 9, 1932' 

